Since I first laid eyes on our house, I loved it but I knew there were a few things we’d want to change to make it our own. One major thing is that the living room and breakfast room have wood paneling that make the space seem a lot darker than it is, especially since it matches the wood floors. I like THAT it is wood instead of drywall, because I think that once we paint over it the wood will add a lot of character. But the painting is the part I’m stuck at.
I finally got a painter over here today for an estimate. David’s parents and his brother both used the same painting company for their houses so I figured it would be a good one to start with. First, let me show you what we want painted. Here are some pictures of the living room, breakfast room, and kitchen. (Please keep in mind that I haven’t done any decorating at all yet, and we have not received our new furniture either!)
The living room
Another view of the living room
The breakfast room with a view into the utility room
The kitchen
Ideally I want to paint over all the wood, including the ceiling beams and cabinets. There are other rooms I’d like painted too, but we can do those ourselves. I thought that all this wood is the job for a professional.
Here’s what the painter said: to paint over all the wood, including the ceiling, it would be $4475. When I heard that, I was so downhearted, and still am. We have only $2000 escrowed for paint, and can’t really afford to go over that right now. I knew it would be expensive, but I wasn’t counting on it being THAT expensive.
So I’m wondering what our options are. It seems crazy for us to attempt the job ourselves, but is that possible? Is this a fair quote, or do you think we could get it done cheaper? I’m not giving up yet, because I know that painting would make a huge difference in our house. I welcome any advice at all!